Former WBC heavyweight champion, Deontay Wilder, has sparred multiple world champions but has made a surprise selection for his toughest spa.
‘The Bronze Bomber’ has knocked out all but one of his forty-two opponents, with only Tyson Fury being able to avoid being counted out. Wilder has forty-two knockouts in forty-three wins, being victorious on the cards on just one occasion, as he defeated Bermane Stiverne in 2015, whom he then knocked out in the first round in 2017.
You would think it might be hard for Wilder to find willing sparring partners, but the The Tuscaloosa man has sparred the likes of Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye to help prepare for fights.
In an interview with ES News, Wilder, somewhat surprisingly, revealed that Alonzo Butler was his toughest spar to date.
“I had a really good, solid war with Alonzo Butler, Big Zo. Big Zo was the fastest heavyweight I’ve ever seen, with his size, he was a solid 250 lbs, but he could move.
If he had better management and handling he could’ve been heavyweight champion of the world. When I was coming up and I saw him, I was very impressed. I looked at him like ‘damn, I wanna get like that’.
“Alonzo was the man, he was the first guy that I ever felt a body shot from and I learned a lot from him during that time.”
Hailing from Tennessee, Butler currently holds a record of 34-3-2, but at 43-years-old it is safe to say he won’t get that chance to challenge for a world title.
Wilder on the other hand is just two fights away from regaining his WBC title, as he’s set to face Andy Ruiz Jr in a final eliminator for a shot at Tyson Fury’s belt.